Several major wind-power companies are testing a departure from the industry’s standard three-bladed turbine design by dropping one of the three blades and spinning the rotor 180 degrees to face downwind.
The design presents engineering challenges, but the hope is that it could greatly improve the economics of offshore wind power. By some estimates, two-bladed turbines could cost 20 percent less to build and install while generating the same amount of power as conventional turbines.
Image: http://www.technologyreview.com/ - Cutting wind: Two-bladed wind turbines, like this one in China, could lower the cost of wind power.
To read the original article: Dropping a Blade to Make Offshore Wind Power Pay | MIT Technology Review
